


Of Mending Rifts and Leaving Scars

by NicePumpkinSpice



Series: Of Sweet Memories and Guarded Moments [34]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Action & Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-21
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-03-18 21:44:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3585156
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NicePumpkinSpice/pseuds/NicePumpkinSpice
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cullen observes the Inquisitor and her team in action.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Mending Rifts and Leaving Scars

When the Inquisitor’s team reached the city of Sahrnia in Emprise du Lion, Evelyn directed her party’s movements. Blackwall and Sera were to go directly to Suledin Keep to let them know to prepare for the Inquisitor’s arrival. Varric and Cole were instructed to survey the city to check on how restoration efforts were proceeding in the wake of the destruction left by the Red Templars’ former occupation. Everyone else was asked to follow her to the nearest rift which was located over a frozen river that ran along the city’s edge. 

Once they were near the rift, Evelyn directed Cullen to sit on a bluff overlooking the river. She explained that she wanted him to have a clear view of how they handled rifts, but she didn’t want him so close that he would tempted to join in the fray.

“Really, Inquisitor, I have better self control than that.” Cullen answered.

“Just promise me that you’ll stay put regardless of what happens.” she said insistently.

“I promise.” 

Evelyn turned from him and began to direct her remaining comrades. Although he had watched and engaged Evelyn in heated discussions, Cullen had never heard her giving orders. A faint smile appeared on his lips seeing her in this light - confident, clear, commanding. The Iron Bull noticed his expression and said, “I know, right? Blazing hot,” and then let out a guttural growl. Cullen was annoyed by Bull’s insinuations but couldn’t disagree that this side of her was intriguing.

Dorian motioned for Cullen and Bull to sit down. “As soon as she gets near the rift, it will begin to spawn demons. The mark in her hand seems to draw them out. You’ll note the mages are carrying two staffs. They will know which to use once they see what types of demons appear. Many demons are elementally aligned. For instance, fighting a despair demon with nothing but an frost aligned staff is something I don’t care to ever experience again. It’s like stabbing a giant with a toothpick. Not a good way to stay alive.”

“Cullen, the Boss is stepping in range. I never get to just sit back and watch. This is gonna be great!” Bull roared enthusiastically.

Cullen leaned forward as Evelyn walked nearer to the rift. The eerie green tear began to spark and pop as she came closer thin green spindles extended outward from the rift in a stellate pattern. Finally, eight swirling green pools of fade energy appeared at the end of the spindles. 

“Eight, damn.” Bull said with concern.

“Probably just wisps and shades, Bull.” Dorian responded but his voice sounded worried as well.

“What are you talking about?” Cullen asked as forms began to emerge from the pools at the end of the eight green spindles. His breath caught in his throat. Eight meant eight demons. The rift crackled again, and the demons fully materialized. Two pride demons, a rage demon, two shades, and three wisps began to attack Evelyn and her team.

“Shit.” Bull hissed.

Cullen made to get down to the fighting, but Bull held him back. “You promised. Just watch. The Boss can handle it.”

Evelyn, Solas, and Vivienne each chose a staff and tossed their extras aside. Cassandra called out to the demons taunting them to attack her. Flames flashed around the two pride demons while electricity crackled between the shades and wisps. 

“So predictable.” Dorian commented. “I would have at least cast a horror over them all. Bull, three silvers says she goes for a wisp first.”

“That’s a sucker’s bet. How about four silver on Cassandra being the one to take out the rage demon?”

“Deal. The Inquisitor will do it. She loves her swordplay.” Dorian quipped.

Evelyn fade stepped near one of the wisps then threw a hand outward. It froze solid. Taking her spectral sword, she slashed through the frozen form. It was clearly weaker but still alive. A quick flash of fire burst from Evelyn’s hand. 

“One wisp down. Told you that was a sucker’s bet.” Bull remarked.

Cullen lurched forward. A shade was coming up on Evelyn’s back. He called out as it swiped at her back. She flinched but appeared unhurt. Her spectral blade flashed while Vivienne aided her attack by immolating the shade.

Solas was staying at the edges of the battle and casting what seemed to be only simple spells to Cullen’s eyes. “Why in the Void isn’t he helping?” Cullen raged.

“He’s maintaining barriers and manipulating fade energies to drain the enemy’s health and stamina.” Dorian explained.

“Solas doesn’t have a flashy style. Most enemies don’t even notice he’s there. But he’s just as deadly as the others - maybe more so.” Bull commented.

“Are you saying that shabby self-trained apostate can outclass me? I’m insulted.” Dorian pouted.

The pride demons were no longer burning and started lashing electrical whips at Solas and Vivienne. Solas sent a boulder shooting out of his hand, and Vivienne fade stepped away from the demon’s attack then threw a protective wall of ice in their path. In the meantime, Evelyn had slid directly behind one of the demons and was viciously attacking its flank with her sword. She stayed behind the demon, moving as it tried to turn to face her, and swung her sword tearing at its purple flesh. Soon the demon was on its knees. Evelyn’s arms shot out to her sides as enormous streams of fire flew from her body and engulfed the demon. 

“Oh now, that was just showing off.” Dorian said dismissively.

Vivienne and Solas combined their attacks and quickly finished the other pride demon. Cassandra had been fighting a shade and the rage demon while the others were dealing with the pride demons. She let out a strangled scream as the rage demon folded itself over her form - trying to burn her alive. Evelyn’s eyes snapped to Cassandra. She made a half circle motion, and Cassandra’s cries stopped.

“She put a barrier up for the Seeker.” Bull said. “Cassandra is pretty far from her. That means she probably gave up her own protection.”

“Solas or Vivienne will keep her covered.” Dorian soothed, but his eyes showed he was worried.

Evelyn’s body stuttered forward. A wisp had hit her with a ranged attack.

Cullen’s eyes grew wide. She didn’t have a barrier. He started to get up, but Bull again held out an arm. “She’ll be fine. All that did was piss her off.”

Bull was correct. Evelyn turned toward the wisp, cloaked herself in the Fade, and rematerialized inside the wisp. There was a brief shimmer, and it was gone. Evelyn made another half circle motion.

“She’s got her barrier up again.” Dorian exhaled.

Cassandra finished off the shade while Vivienne froze the rage demon in place.

Evelyn held up her hand toward the rift disrupting the fade energies it was feeding to the demons. The third wisp disappeared leaving only the rage demon remaining.

Cassandra kept her shield up but did not go after the demon. She kept its attention focused on her by taunting it while Vivienne and Solas hammered it with ice attacks. Evelyn twirled her staff and slammed it against the ice sending electricity through the rage demon’s flaming mass. Its body disintegrated.

“Four silver. Pay up, you Qunari brute!” Dorian exulted.

“Technically, the three of them killed it.” Bull argued.

Cullen started to stand and walk toward Evelyn when Dorian said, “Sit down, Commander. That was just the first wave. They’ll spread out, down a few potions, watch for the spindles to form again, and then dispel the demons. If you time it just right, they never materialize. I wonder if she’d want me to join them at this point.”

“You go down there, the Boss is going to be furious.” Bull warned.

“True enough. Too many mages makes for dull battle.” Dorian sighed.

The rift began to crack and pop. Evelyn glanced briefly in Cullen’s direction then focused on the spindles that began shooting from the rift.

“Six. Not bad. If they time their dispelling correctly, they’ll just have three to manage. Two if the Seeker is close enough to one of the spindles for her spell purge to work.” Bull explained.

The rift popped, and the spindles shimmered. Four of the green pools at the ends of the spindles dissipated with no demons forming. A despair demon and a greater terror emerged from the two remaining pools.

“Here’s a tip when you’re out fighting at the next rift. If you see a green pool forming at your feet, start running.” Bull counseled Cullen.

“Why?” Cullen asked.

“Just watch. You’ll see.” Bull replied.

Cullen soon saw what Bull was talking about. The terror would disappear into the earth and then shoot up from green pools of fade energy. Next the demon would emit a supersonic scream that paralyzed those nearby and drained their health. Cassandra was its first target, but its attacks only strengthened her guard. Evelyn had fade stepped over to the staves discarded from the first round. She picked up two and tossed them to Vivienne and Solas. 

“Good thinking. They had both been using frost staves. Now they’ll have something more appropriate for the despair demon.” Dorian noted.

Solas raised his hand and a green shimmering ball appeared over the ice. The despair demon and terror were drawn in by the vacuum created by the ball. Evelyn stepped near them and began to slash with her spectral sword. Vivienne and Solas hit the demons with fire and electrical attacks while Cassandra ran over to attack the terror’s flank. The ball disappeared, and the demons were free to move. Solas and Vivienne continued to throw fire attacks at the despair demon while Evelyn threw up her hand and disrupted the rift. Soon only the terror remained. It disappeared beneath the ice and popped up at Evelyn’s feet knocking her down. Her head hit the ice hard.

Cullen gasped but stayed seated. Cassandra slashed at the demon while Solas threw a boulder at it. Vivienne fade stepped near it and used her own spectral sword to deliver the killing blow. Evelyn still didn’t move. Solas cast a healing spell, and Evelyn slowly stood rubbing the back of her head.

“Those terror assholes always knock her out. Do you remember the Fallow Mire, Dorian? Boss ended up unconscious every time we lit a beacon.” Bull laughed at the memory. Cullen blanched.

Evelyn watched the rift making sure that no more spindles were forming. Then she held up her marked hand and established a glowing connection with the fade willing the hole to repair itself. The swirling energies hummed loudly until Evelyn snapped her hand back sealing the rift. She clutched her marked hand to her chest and waved at Cullen with the other. Cullen waved back enthusiastically then sprinted to where she stood.

“That was unbelievable!” Cullen exclaimed while picking Evelyn up and hugging her tightly. He set her down but his face was flush with excitement. “I mean you were all phew, phew, phew fireballs and spirit swords. And Solas was thwump fade boulder and demon vacuums. And Vivienne was wachow with the ice and I’ve ... I’ve never seen anything like that.”

Evelyn chuckled at his sound effect enhanced descriptions. “So I guess I shouldn’t have been concerned about your reaction to all the magic.”

“No, it’s good that you had me watch. Bull had to stop me from interfering a few times, but I understand your team dynamic now. That was fabulous. So are we off to the second rift?” Cullen gushed.

“That was a bit tougher than I hoped. We’ll need to rest before addressing the second rift. I’m a bit punch drunk from that terror, too.”

Cullen’s face fell in disappointment, but he quickly recovered. “I do get to help with the next one - right?”

“Absolutely.” Evelyn smiled while her eyes danced.

“Bull said the terrors always knock you out. Do they?” Cullen asked.

Evelyn’s eyes narrowed. “Bull, the terrors do not _always_ knock me out!” she protested angrily.

Bull said calmly, “Name one time that they haven’t, Boss.”

Evelyn growled, “Well, if they have, it’s only because I’m too busy taking care of the rest of you.”

“My darling, it is nothing of which to be ashamed. Nearly everyone has a weakness. You are only beginning to develop your talents after all. One wouldn’t expect you to have the skills or stamina of a better trained mage.” Vivienne condescended.

Evelyn’s mouth twitched as she gave Vivienne an icy stare. Cullen pressed his lips together and watched Evelyn fight to keep her mouth shut. Vivienne was obviously baiting her, but Evelyn didn’t want to engage in a battle of words.

Solas intervened on her behalf, “I’m sure it took many, many years of training for you to reach a similar level of competence, Enchanter. It is a pity that you finally mastered magic so near the end of your career. Our Inquisitor has the good fortune of being a fast learner and _quite young_.” 

Cullen fought to suppress a laugh at the elf’s cutting remark while Evelyn mouthed a “thank you” to Solas. Vivienne, for her part, whisked away from everyone her skirts flaring in the wind. The elf shrugged his shoulders nonplussed with the exchange and returned to examining his staff.

“Inquisitor!” Cassandra called out as she limped toward the group her armor still smoking. “I am a bit more singed than I would prefer. Could you perhaps?”

“Of course, I’m sorry.” Evelyn rushed over to the warrior and began to repair the burns inflicted by the rage demon earlier. Evelyn worked efficiently and effectively, and Cullen watched as Cassandra’s skin and hair went from blistered and charred to smooth and flawless. “I could fix those, too.” Evelyn motioned to the scars on Cassandra’s face.

“I prefer they stay. A warrior should have scars. These were earned by my inattention and serve as a reminder to always be on guard.” Cassandra replied. 

Cullen ran his tongue over the scar on his lip and silently agreed with Cassandra. Scars represented lessons learned and battles survived. Removing those on your skin did nothing for those you carried inside and made others less aware of what you had faced.

**Author's Note:**

> Writing a battle was challenging for me. I hope you enjoyed "watching" alongside Cullen.


End file.
